"You know good and well it is." She smiled. "I talk about it as much as you talk about that stupid old mane--forget I said that; it's not stupid at all. It's beautiful, like you."
Tanabi bussed her cheek with his tongue. "Tomorrow is my mantlement. I guess I've run it into the ground by now, but I delayed it because of you."
"Because of me?"
"Because this evening is your first hunt. I want you to stand with me tomorrow at the ceremony. I want to make an announcement. You will be a huntress and I will be a hunter."
"What will you hunt?"
"I will hunt you."
"Do you think you can catch me?"
"I will, " he said passionately. He shuddered and spoke in a near whisper. "The time for talk will soon be over, Missy. My love will be more than kind words."
"I know."
"Tell me the truth. Will your feelings for me come back a lioness, or will they be a cub? I know you are my friend, but do you look forward to this union? Are you sure you will want me?"
She pressed up against his side and walked slowly forward, rubbing along his flank and finally drawing her supple tail seductively under his throat. "I want you now. Once first blood is marked on my cheek, I won't even stop to eat. I'll come right back here and find you. It will be everything you hoped for--I promise."
"Misha, " Tanabi whispered, nuzzling her affectionately. His hot breath on her face was intoxicating. "When you kill, take time to savor the moment. You know I don't become a lion till tomorrow. A foolish, fleeting passage of the sun and a few grand words from my father. I hate ceremonies—they are so incon-venient."
"And so long, " Misha said. "Keep your speech short. After all, you'll really become a lion when we're alone."
"Oh gods! " He nuzzled her again, then stopped himself. "Please leave now. I cannot trust myself."
"Sorry, Fuzzy Love." She gave him a brief, chaste touch of her tongue on the cheek. "Love ya."
"Same here. Good hunting."
SCENE: GAME IS AFOOT
It seemed an eternity until time for the evening hunt. Misha was first at the gathering place in the shadow of Pride Rock. When the other lionesses came in one by one, she chatted nervously.
In fact, lionesses loved to talk when they were gathering for a hunt. It was therapeutic to get all of it out of their system before the silence of the stalk. And so Misha ended up with a lot of free advice on everything from hunting to raising polite, well-behaved cubs. In fact, Isha even asked if her mother had had The Talk with her. She said yes, shyly.
"Isha, what is it like to be with a lion?"
They laughed. Malaika said, "Get her talking about that, Honey Tree, and there won't be ANY killing tonight."
"I could tell you some stories, " Isha added, giggling. "Remember Taka?"
"Taka?? You and Taka??" There was more laughter.
"No! Not in a million years! " She feigned indignation, then added in a low voice, "But I heard on good authority that he and Elanna used to sneak out to the...."
"Watch what you say about my sister! " Sarabi let a little fang show.
Isha looked at Sarabi and added soothingly. "Come on, Sarabi. Aren't you the least bit curious? You said yourself you didn't know what Elanna saw in him. I did too, so I went straight to the source. El' didn't hold back, not one little detail....."
Sarabi's jaw hung slack. "No, you don't say! She hasn't told me anything."
"Well I’d imagine not. Some things you won’t tell a sister, like ‘What is it this time, naughty bunnies or the wildebeest’s revenge?’”
The lionesses giggled and drew closer together, expectantly. “Naughty bunnies?” Misha asked, worried. “Mother never told me about that…”
"Hush! " Uzuri said. "Misha's still a child for now." Uzuri was the hunt mistress, and they obeyed her at once.
"You don’t need naughty bunnies, ” Uzuri purred. “The love between a lion and lioness is a beautiful thing when it begins in the heart. Tanabi will look in your eyes and plead for you to love him. You will come willingly, gladly. And when your love is bright as the eyes of Aiheu, he will share with you the comfort of his body and you will become one. Love is nothing to be frightened of, or ashamed of. "
Sarabi added, "At times he will be stubborn, irresponsible, an overgrown cub. He will make you angry with his foolishness. You will start to cuff the life out of him, and then he will turn to you and need your forgiveness as dry grass needs the rain. And you will rush to forgive him for you love him so. To make love is good, but there are many ways to feel love. Mostly I remember how safe I felt with Mufasa's strong and beautiful body next to me all night long. When I would awake at high moon, I would stroke his mane. He would not wake up, but he would purr softly." Her lower jaw quivered. "I'm sorry. Listen to the foolish old lioness living in the past."
Misha said, "Don't say that. You're NOT foolish."
It was not Misha's first hunt. Her mother had taken her out alone on several occasions and showed her how to hunt small prey. Once Ajenti had even tackled an antelope, and on its body demonstrated all the right holds.
But this was Misha's first time to go out with the other lionesses. That warm life that she would take in her jaws would fight to live for one more hour, even one more minute. She would have to be firm, but when possible she would be quick and merciful. The thought took her mind off Tanabi long enough to sober her up for the ritual ahead.
"Time, sisters, " Uzuri said. "Isha, Nala, you will flank me. Malaika, you will lead the left flank. The rest of us will follow her, except for you, Misha. You will come with me. Now silence! "
They wouldn't speak above a whisper from this point on, and words were few. They fanned out to form a clamshell formation in the tall grass.
Indeed, there was no need to discuss the angle of attack, for Uzuri's quick, subtle gestures of ears, head and tail spoke volumes. She headed the group toward the watering hole from the grassy side, heading into the wind. It was a simple enough plan, one more geared toward easy, small prey than the large animals needed to satisfy the Pride's hunger. It was meant to be Misha's moment, a passing on of the heritage that had gone down endless generations, and would go to her daughters as well.
Something had always been missing from Misha's life. For her many friends, she still had no idea what happened when the hunting party left. Even in the enforced quiet of the stalk, there was a feeling of sisterhood and singleness of purpose that she would not--and could not--find anywhere else. Not a lioness breathes that cannot recall their first kill as if it were yesterday. The only thing that changes over the years is the size and swiftness of the prey. First kills often get better with age.
In the quiet, calculated tread of stalking, they heard the buzzing of insects, the singing of birds, and only the faintest folding of grass blades beneath padded feet. Misha had used her skills in play, stalking and wrestling Tanabi in laughter-filled bouts beneath the acacias. It was now put to serious use. Sometimes she would let Tanabi win, because she loved him. Now she must win at all costs because she loved him. And yet as much as she loved Tanabi, she resented the pressure that her feelings were putting on her first hunt. "I must win, " she thought. "Concentrate! "
Through the grass, Misha could barely make out the Thompsons Gazelles they were stalking. What luck! The same species she'd been shown by her mother! She knew where to strike and what to do. The gods were with her!